Summary:

Crossroads has a long-standing relationship with the Moricetown Band and Office of the Wet’suwet’en. We first started working with the community in 2004, when attempts to build an information centre next to the highway above the Moricetown Canyon revealed a burial site at this location. Eight years later, in 2012, when excavation was required to widen the road down to the canyon, Crossroads returned to do a full recovery of the site. In 2017, when the installation of stairs at the nearby campground revealed bone fragments and cultural artifacts, Crossroads returned to conduct another recovery.

Approach:

Crossroads believes the foundation of our business is ongoing relationships and we’re pleased to work closely with the Moricetown community. Knowing the community members and the individuals’ skillsets allows us to draw upon local resources, and understanding community concerns means that we can work efficiently and effectively with sensitivity to local culture.

Results:

Our work with Moricetown is ongoing. Our understanding of cultural protocols has led to us conducting reburial ceremonies and approaching these projects with sensitivity, allowing the community the time it needs before moving onto next steps. Crossroads hired and trained over 16 community members to perform duties related to heritage recovery and community engagement, which allows work in cultural resource management to continue within the community without Crossroads’ involvement. Working with the fisheries department of the Office of the Wet’suwet’en and the Moricetown Band, Crossroads was able to bring closure to these events that were a cause for community unrest.